Oil-well apparatus



May 13, 1930. c s 1,758,453

OIL WELL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l May 13, 1930. c. P. MAYS OIL WELL APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Shea+ 2 Filed F'eb.- 11, 1928 S n m: uto'r/ G Pl la e May 13, 1930. c s v 1,758,453

OIL WELL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 (Z PM 6196 May 13, 1930. c. P. MAYS 1,758,453

OIL WELL APPARATUS Filed Feb. 11, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented May 1.3, 1 9 30 p I CHARLES r. MAYS, or E1; nonano nnmsas OIL-WELL APPARATUS Application filed February 11, 1928. Serial No. 253,604.

The object of this invention is to facilitate the application of a cap to an oil or gas well and to prevent or extinguish fires at the mouth of the well. The invention seeks to 6 provide an apparatus which can be operated easily and without danger to the operators and by the use of which the desired operations can be quickl and efliciently performed. A further ject of the invention 1 is to providev a portable apparatus for the stated purposes which will be easily brought into proper position relative tothe well and which will be automatically locked to the well so thatt he cap or the fire-controlling element will be properly centered upon the well and will be held in axial relationthereto until the operation is finished. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter tully set forth.

In thedrawings: I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus arranged to facilitate the placing of Fig. 2 is a lan view of the same as it appears before t e cap is secured in place;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the station- I ary beam which is engaged with the mouth of the well tubing to effect centering of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of said beam and the latching mechanism mounted thereon;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail section on the line 55 of Fig. 4; j

- Fig. 6 is a detail section showing a different position of the wedges shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the fire-controlling element, and I Figs. 8 and 9'are detail views of fastenings shown in Fig. '7.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a main frame or truck consisting of sills 1 connected at intervals by cross bars 2 and mounted upon wheels or rollers. 3 whereby it may be easily moved over the ground. Upon referring particuarly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that one cross bar 2 is disposed at one end of the truck 50 while the sills at the opposite end of the 'door 9 has a trigger 20 mounted radially truck are disconnected but atthe latter end guide rods 4 are provided which converge inwardly and are secured rigidly to the adjacent cross bar 2 so that the truck maybe easily pushed or pulled into position and will be properly guided so that the truck will be centered relative to the projecting end of the well casing and the valved cap or the fire controlling tube will be properly centered over the casing. Secured uponthe sills and extending between the same adjacent the last-mentioned cross bar and between the same and the open end of the truck is a cross beam 5- which consists essentially of upper and lower plates 6 secured at their ends to supporting arms 7 which, in turn, are rigidly secured upon the sills, the plates '6 being constructed with recesses or cut-away. portions, indicated at 8, in their edges presented to the well so that the apparatus may be brought into proper position over the mouth of the well. At the center of the beam 5 is formed a notch or semi-circular recess which is adapted to fit against theupper end of the well casing and at one side of said recess at the front of the beam is pivotally mounted a door or latch 9 having an arm 10 extending laterally beyond its pivot 11 and provided on its upper side at its free end with a lug 12, the function of which will presently appear. In the rear wall of the beam is fitted a, slidable trigger 13 mounted radially and projecting from the rear side oredge of the be'ain the forward end of this trigger being formed into a guide pin 14 and the rear end thereof being formed into an enlarged head 15 having a horizontal slot 16 formed therethrough. The slot 16, is engaged by the I outer,end of a lever 17 which is pivoted upon a bracket 18 projecting from the beam at the side of the .trigger and extends laterally beyond the same, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, with its free end formed into a rearwardly projecting hook 19. The latch or therethrough in such position that when the door is closed as shown in Fig. 4, the triggcis 13 and 20 will be alined and the trigger 20 is of the same construction as the trigger 13, except that the enlarged slotted head thereof is omitted. A retractile spring 21 however, is attached to the outer end of the trigger 20 and to the adjacent portion of thereon and the free forward end of this do the door so that the trigger cannot be thrown from the door andlost but will be normally held in its operative position. The free end or arm 10 of the dooris formed with an opening therethrough to receive an end of ,a guide rod 22 which is secured to the bracket 18, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, and supports an expansion'spring 23 which bears at one end against the latch arm 10 and at its opposite end against an abutment. 24 upon the guide rod 22. At the opposite side ofthe center of the beam, a dog 25 is pivotally mounted is formed with a hook or shoulder 26 whic is adaptedto be engaged by a tongue 27 upon the door so that the door will be normally held in its closed position. An expansionspring 28 bears upon the rear end of the dog 25 and is held by a guide rod 29 carried by the beam, as shown in-Fig. 4 and as will be understood. It willialso be understood that door is swung forwardly an indicated by the dotted lines in 'Fig. 4,

the springs and the parts cooperating there-' with are housed between the upper and lower plates of the beam, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby they will be protected against chance blows. Erected upon the beam about the central opening thereof and upon the door about the tube or casing engaging recess therein are posts 30 1 having guide slots 31 formed herein, which slots receive the outer ends of arms32 which are fixed tothe upper ends ofclamping wedges 33 having their lower ends disposed within the recesses of the door'and the beam and adapted to be supported by the triggers 13 and 20 while the truck is being brought into operative position. Whenthe' truck is being brought into workin position, the

d outwardly, as

. and thehooked end 19 of the lever latch is positioned around the well casing the end 17 will engage the forward end of the lug 12 so that the door will be held in its opened position. At this time the wedges 33 will be resting at their lower ends upon the triggers 13 and 20, respectively, as shown in Fig. 6, and the terminal pins 14 of the triggers will be projected beyond the inner surfaces of the wedges so that when the truck of the rear trigger 13 will be caused to impinge against the projecting end of the easshown in full lines in Fi 4 to close around the well casing or tu ing. The closing.

movement of the door will obviously cause.

the inner projecting end of the trigger 20 to impinge against the front side of the well casing or tubing so that it will be moved relatively forwardly and will release the forward wedges 33 and said wedges will at once drop into binding engagement between the casing and the door. the working faces of these wedges are formed with teeth'34 so that a very firm grip upon the. tubing will be attained and" upward releasing movement of the wedges will be re sisted. It will also be noted that the extremities of-t'he dog 25 and the latching arm 27 have plane faces upon their locking edges but are tapered at their opposite sides, as shown at 35 and 36, respectively, whereby as the door closes the hook 26 may be easily pushed aside to clear the arm 27 and then immediatelyswing into locking engagement therewith. A spring 37,- corresponding to the spring 21, is attached to the beam and to the head 15 of the'rear trigger so that said trigger will be normally held in its forward position. It will further be understood that, when the apparatus is to be used, the door is manually set in the open position indicated in the dotted lines in Fig. 4.

Hinged or pivotall mounted upon the beam 5 at the ends 0 the same and imme- It is to be noted that diately adjacent the'sills 1 are columns 38 which are preferably constructed of tubing having their lower ends-flattened to facilitate the pivotal mounting of the same and the upper free ends of these columns are connected by a'cross bar or beam 39. Said beam 39, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 7, consists of two similar fiat-bars provided adjacent theirouter ends with grooved ,portions or ofi'sets 40 which mate to form a socket receiving'the upper end of the respective column 38 and held closely about the same by bolts41 inserted through the plates at opposite sides of said socket. At the inner sides of the sockets 40 and adjacent the same similar smaller sockets or grooved portions 42 are provided, the purpose of which will presently appear. The centers of the plates constituting the beam 39 are semi-circular offsets 43 which mate to fit around a tube 44 V forming an outlet for the cap when the cap is being fitted in place and a jacent this central ofi'set portion is a socket element 44 at each sideof the central offset for a purpose which will presently appear. Below the beam 39, similar beams 45 and 46 are provided, the end sockets or these beams being slidably engaged about the columns 38, and the socket members 42 of these beams 45 and46 receive the ends of stay rods or braces 48 which arev offset or shouldered, as shown at 49, adjacent their respective ends to bear against the respective ooved portions 47 of beams and maintain the properly spaced rebeam 45, as shown at 50 in Fig. 2, so that theymay engage in the socket elements 42 of the -relatively fixed beam 43.and thereby maintain the alinement of the parts while permitting extreme movement ofthe relatively movable beams.

The well cap comprises a central cruciform body 51 having a high pressure valve 52 coupled to the downwardly extending arm thereof and a similar but lower pressure valve 53 coupled to the upwardly extendmg branch thereof. The side branches of this fitting or body have cut-off valves 54 coupled thereto, and these valves 54 are to be coupled to pipe lines leading to storage reservoirs or other points of delivery. Theupper valve 53 is coupled to the lower end of the outlet tube 44 which passes through and is held by the central bowed portions or clamping member 43 of the uppermost beam 39 and its lower end is passed through the corresponding portion of the beam 45. Flanges 55 are provided upon the lower end of the outlet tube 44 and these flanges are clamped in place by bolts inserted through the socket elements 44 of the'beam. A similar'fiange 56 is provided upon the cap member below the valve 52 and is likewisebolted to the lower beam 46. If the truck be brought into proper positlon relative to the well casing or tubing and the columns 38 then swung into uprightposition, as shown by the dotted lines 1n Fig. 1, the

cap member will obviously be brought into axial alinement with the well casing and. a union coupling with which the upper end of the casing is provided may then be readily secured to and upon the lower end of the cap member. I

It will be understood that when the truck is being brought into position, the columns 38 and the parts carried thereby will be in the inclined position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 2 and are supported in this position by standards 57 erected upon the sills. To swing the columns, the fitting and the adjacent parts into the upright position, a hoisting cable58 is provided, this cable being trained about pulleys 59 mounted upon the ends of the upper cross beam 39 and masts 60 erected upon the sills at the open end of the truck, the arrangement being duplicated 1 at the two sides of the truck so that lateral twisting of the structure as it is being erected will be prevented andthe lifting strain will be distributed and equalized. A cable 61 is also provided and trained about pulleys 62 upon the truck and the upper beam 39 so that the lifting movement may be made steady; by having a portion of the operating crew pay out the cable 61 as the erecting action progresses .and also to facilitate the lowering movement when the lowering movement is necessary. The fitting and the beams 45 and 46 carrying the same are arranged primarily some little distance above the lower ends of the columns 38 so that the lower end of the cap may readily clear the upper end of the well casing or tube as the apparatus is brought into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in order that it may be maintained in this position while being erected, a sustaining cable 63 is provided and trained about idlers 64 upon the beams 39 and 45 and then carried to an idler 65 upon the sills and oil to such distance as maybe deemed advisable. It' will be noted that the working portion of this cable is disposed between the beams 39 and 45 sp that a pull exerted upon this 'cable will raise the beam 45 and, of course, will raise the beam 46 and the fitting. To maintain the stay rods 48 in the beams 45 :and 46, cotter pins or like fasteners 66 are inserted through the ends of the rods and, consequently, when an upward pull is exerted upon the sustaining cable 63, both beams and the fitting Will be drawn upwardly.

The free end of the sustaining cable may be secured to the ends of the sills or otherwise so that the weight of the fitting and the beam will not'be permitted to prematurely cause descent of the parts. Itwill, of course, be un-' derstood that the pressure of the gas or oil flowing from the well will tend to prevent seating of the cap fitting on the well casing or tubing and to accomplish the desired positive seating of the fitting a cable 67 is provided having its working portion disposedbetween the beams 45 and 46 and trained about idler pulleys mounted thereon and then -secured. The provision of the cables 58 and 61 at opposite sides of the apparatus not only provides for a steady even movement of the fitting and the parts carrying itduring the lifting operation but also permits the device to be secured againstlateral pressure after it has been brought into the upright position inasmuch as said cables 58 and 61 may be secured to some fixed objects and thereby hold the parts in the set position.

- It is thought the operation of this part of the apparatus will be clearfrom what has been said. When flow from the Well has started so that the necessity-for capping the same becomes evident, the cap is mounted upon the beams with the outlet tube 44 coupled thereto, as shown and described, and the cables 58 and 61 are manipulated to bring the apparatus into upright position over the I well. At this time the valves 52 and 53 are 7 l The oil or gas flowin 54 have been coupled properly into the pipe lines, the valves 54 are opened and the valve '53 closed, whereupon the fluid will be directed into the pipe lines. The outlet tube 44 may then be removed, the door 9 opened an the truck withdrawn from the well. It frequently happens that during the.operation of fitting a cap u on a well sparks are produced which cause re and very serious results have followed. I, therefore, provide means whereby the danger of fire from such source will be minimized, and to this end a water pipe v68 is mounted upon the cross bars of the truck and connected by flexible hose with a source of supply, and it will be understood that, while I refer'to this pipe as av water pipe, it may be connected with a pump feeding chemicals or other flame-smothering material into and throughthe ipe. At an intermediate point of the truck, ranch pipes 69 are coupled into and lead laterally from the supply pipe 68 and connect with side pies 70 which extend forward to points over the beam 5 where they are coupled into delivery pipes 71 extending inwardly over the beam 5 and terminating immediately ad acent the well receiving recess or opening therethrough, as shown in Fig. 2., The water or other fire extinguishing compound fed through the pipes will thus be delivered at the mouth'of the ,well to play upon and mingle with the material flowing therefrom so that the liability of yfire occurring will be minimized and if fire should start it will be immediately extinguished. Branch pipes 72 are also coupled into the supply pipe 68 over the. end cross bar 2 of the truck and at the outer ends of said branch pipes side pipes 73 are connected therewith through swiveled couplin'gs. These pipes 73 are connected with other side pipes 74 throughbranch swiveled connections 75 and the side pipes 74 in turn have swiveled connections with transverse branch pipes 76 which lead into the outlet tube 44 immediately above 'the beam 45. When the device is in its lowered position- I shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the pipes 74 and 73 will move pivotally relative to each other I by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 in an obvious.

manner. The provision of these pipes permits some of the fire extinguishing compound to be delivered into the outlet tube 44 to mingle. with the material flowing therethrough so that should fire start in the mate rial a ter its enters the cap fitting, the spread of the fire will be prevented and the liability of flame issuing from the outlet tube 44 is practically eliminated.-

It sometimes happens that fire actually starts before a well has been capped and before a cap can be placed thereon. To meet this condition, I provide the elements illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. A flue or tube 77 employed in connection with the cap and both its ends are open. Its-lower end isformed with diametrically opposite notches 78 which may conveniently be formed by slitting the tube and bending the metal between the slits outwardly to form a tongue 79. The tongue is bent up so as to form a lateral deflecting plate,

as clearly shown in Fig. 7, and when the tube is brought into upright position over the well the flame will be divided so that, while the greater portion thereof will pass up through the tube, part of the same will be directed outwardly and this division of the flame will facilitate the spreading of extinguishing material thereover inasmuch as it will tend to reduce the pressure exerted by the material flowing into and through the tube. Between the beams 39 and 45, this tube 77 is provided with openings 80 into which the ends .of the water pipes are coupled and the device operates in the same manner in this respect as the first described apparatus. To support the tube 77 upon the beams, a strap 81 is passed around the upper portion of the tube and its ends are secured by bolts 82 inserted therethrough and through the innermost socket members of the beam. Below the openings 80, flanges 83 are welded or otherwise rigidly secured to the tubeand these flanges rest upon the upper edges of the respective beams 45 and 46 so that they may be secured by bolts 84. Inasmuch as the pressure and strain upon the lower portion of the tube is much greater than that upon the upper portion thereof, these flanges 83 provide afirmer fastener than the band or strap 81 so that the desired rigidity of the device is attained.

The described construction of the beams v39, 45 and 46 facilitates the application of the cap and the outlet tube thereto as well as theremoval of the same after the cap has been secured in place. To effect this removal,

it is necessary merely to remove the nuts holding the bolts 41, whereupon the forward plate of each beam may be easily lifted or permit- I ted to drop from the mating plate as the truckis withdrawn from the well. It will be noted that I have provided a very simple apparatus by the use of which oil andgas wells may be easily apped and the liability of serious fires minimized.

Having thus described the invention, I

1 claim:

- 1. Apparatus for" the purpose set forth comprising a truck includingiacross beam at the advancingend thereof,said beam having a recess'in its forward edge toengage the mouth of a well casing, and means on said lock the beam to the well casing.

its

3. Apparatus for the purpose set fort comprising a truck having a cross beam provided with a central recess in itsfront edge to engage a well casing, a door pivotally mounted upon the beam adjacent the recess, and] means onthe beam actuated by impact with.

the well casing to close the door around the casingto retain the same in the recess. 4. pparatus for the purpose set forth ing, a door mounted on thebeam, means at:- tuated by impact with the casingto close the door around the casing, and means carried by the beam and the door and actuated byrimpact with the beam to efl'ect binding engagement between the casing and the beam and between the casing. and the door. I

5. Apparatus for the urpose set forth comprising a truck including a cross-beam, a door pivotally mounted on the beam, 'means carried by the beam for holding the door normally. in open position, and means actuated by impact with the'swellcasingto release said holding means and close the door about the casing.

6. Apparatus for the purpose setforth comprising a truck including a cross beam adapted'to engage awell casing, a door pivotally mounted on the beamand adapted to fit around the well casing, yieldable means for holding the door in closed position, means for holding the door in open position, and means actuated by impact with the well casingto release said holding means.

7. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising a truck including a cross beam adapted to engage a well'casing, a door pivotally mounted on the beam and adapted to fit around the well casing, means for bold? ing the door in open position, means actuated by impact with the well casing to release said holding means, and a dog on the beam adjacomfprising a truck including a cross beam at rontend arranged to engage a well cas-' cent the door and adapted to engage the door to hold the same in closed position. I

8. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising atruck including a cross beam adapted to engage a well casing, a door pivotally mounted upon the beam, wedges slidably mounted on the beam and the door, and triggers on the beam and the door normally sup-- porting the wedges in raised position and actuated by impact with the well casing to release the wedges and permit them to effect binding engagement between the casing and the door and the beam respectively.

9. Oil well apparatus comprising a truck, a fitting support pivotally mounted upon the truck, a prop on the truck to sustain the support in partly lowered position, means for erecting the support over the casing, a fitting slidably mounted on the support and in vertical alinement therewith, and means for lowering the fitting onto the well casing.

10. Oil well apparatus comprising a truck, a supporting frame pivotally mounted upon the truck and normally in a lowered position, cables connected with the frame for bringing the supporting frame into upright position over the well casing and securing it in said position, an outlet tube slidably mount-v ed on said supporting frame, a pipe for delivering fire extinguishing elements at the mouth of the well, and branch pi es having,

swiveled connections between sai pipe and the outlet tube whereby to accommodate the raising and lowering movement of the tube and deliver fire extinguishing elements into the tube.

11. Oil well apparatus comprising a truck,

' columns pivotally mounted upon said truck,

a cross beam connectingthe upper endsof the columns, other beams slidably fitting on the columns and. adapted to carry a well cap fitting, means for swinging the columns into upright position over. the well, means for lowering theslidable beams wherelzy to bring the fitting-carried thereby onto t e well casing, and means, for raising and lowering the columns.

12. Apparatusfor the purpose set forth comprising a truck, columns pivotally mount ed upon said truck, a cross bar connecting the upper ends of the columns, other cross bars including mating plates provided at their ends with socketportions slidably'engaging the columns, means for maintaining said cross bars in fixed spaced relation, means for securing'the members of the last-mentioned cross bars together and permitting their separation, the cross bars eing constructed at :their centers to secure a fitting, means for raising and lowering the columns, and means for raising'and lowering the last-mentioned cross bars upon the columns.

In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

CHARLES 'P. MAYg. .[n s.] 

